Spinning toys



Oct. 21,1958

N- R. LYKES SPINNING TOYS Filed July 22. 1957 IN V EN TOR.

United States Patent Ofiice 2,857,163 Patented Oct. 21, 1958 SPINNING TOYS Norman R. Lykes, Maricopa County, Ariz.

Application July 22, 1957, Serial No. 673,402

3 Claims. (Cl. 273-108) This invention concerns spinning toys for children.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a spinning top with means whereby the place where the top is to spin may be accurately determined and governed.

Another object is to provide a top which will cooperate with a holder and a string whereby the top may be set in spinning motion on a horizontal, flat or slightly concave surface on which it will spin until its rotation is diminished or it is removed;

Still another object is to provide a top which has a bottom peg on which it spins which is shaped so that whenever the top tilts from the vertical the peg will contact the material on which it is spinning and cause the top to walk or move from its original position;

Still another object is to provide a top having a bottom peg on which it spins adapted to contact the upper curved surfaces of concave spinning plates. so that the top may be made to walk or move off of the plates and into concave recesses on other plates.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

I attain the foregoing objects by means of the devices, parts, and combinations of parts shown in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure l is a spinning platform having five concave spinning areas arranged at different levels;

Figure 2 is a sectional view thereof taken substantiall on line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of a top incorporating my improvements and adapted for spinning on. the platform shown in Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is a modified form of top for use with the spinning platform above mentioned;

Figure 5 is a starting stick for use with the top shown in Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a sectional view thereof;

Figure 7 is a portion of a starting stick for use with a modified form of top shown in Figure 4;

Figure 8 is a side elevational view of the spinning peg used with tops as here described, drawn on an enlarged scale;

Figure 9 is a plan view of a modified form of a spinning platform; and

Figure 10 is a side elevational view thereof.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts in the several views.

In the spinning platform shown in Figures 1 and 2 there is a central elevated spinning platform 2 which has a round slightly concave depression or cavity 3 in the central portion of its upper face. This platform is bounded by four straight sides, such as indicated by numeral 4. This platform is set diagonally relative to the base 5. In the corner areas there are four circular shallow cavities 6. These have slightly greater depth relative to their size than cavity 3.

These cavities are shallow so as to temporarily detain a top which is spun with its peg rotating on the surface of the cavity.

In a modified form of spinning platform, shown in Figures 9 and 10, there is a raised platform 8 at the left end of the figures, as shown, which has an elongated shallow cavity 10. Below this, and toward the right, there is a similar substantially horizontal flat area provided with a cavity 12 and to the right and below this there is a third cavity 14 on a similar horizontal step. Still below this there is a fourth somewhat shallow cavity 16 on a larger substantially horizontal flat step 17 and lastly, there is a deeper cavity 20 on the flat area 21 at the right end portion of base 22. It is to be understood that the several cavities are formed in the faces of the several flat areas or shelves to provide spinning spaces descending somewhat like stairs, and that the upper flat areas are tilted somewhat toward the lower areas, so a spinning top will walk from one shelf to another even if it is spinning on a flat area adjacent a cavity.

I have shown two exemplary types of spinning tops which are suitable for use on the above described spaces and platforms. Figure 3 shows a top which has the bulk of its weight in an enlarged mass 24 within the upper portion of its body and well above the peg 27 on which the top spins. The material of the body 25 of the top is shaped conically downward from the upper portion toward the lower portion 26 of the body. The body 25 is round when viewed from above, and above the mass 24 there is a neck 40 around which string 28 may be wound for spinning. The side walls of neck 40 converge downward, making its lower part of smaller diameter than its upper part.

In the middle of the top of the neck there is an axial hole or recess 30. This hole is adapted to receive a pin 31 which is in the end portion of the spin positioning stick 32.

To spin this top the cord or string 28 is wound around the neck 40 after the first convolution is secured by underlapping the end. The string is then wound upwardly around the side wall of neck 40 a desired number of turns. The winding is done according to the common practice for wrapping string for spinning tops. After the string is wrapped about the neck 40 the positioning stick 32 is held so that the pin 31 bears in hole 30. The outer end of the string is then given a quickpull and the stick is used to ofiset the pull on the string and to keep the axis of the top in a vertical position with the peg 27 positioned in any one of the concave recesses or platforms desired on either of the spinning platforms heretofore described.

In the form of top shown in Figure 4 the bulk of the weight is positioned closely adjacent the peg 27. This bulge 33 gives the top a somewhat fat appearance. The greater weight and larger diameter of this top tends to make it spin longer. From the weighted portion 33 the top slopes upward to a neck 40 which receives the windings of the spinning string 28. At the center of the top of the neck there is an axially positioned pin 34. This pin is adapted to fit and journal rather loosely in hole 35 formed near one end of the spinning and positioning stick 36.

To spin this top string is wound on neck 40 on this form of top in the same manner as the top shown in Figure 2. The spinning and positioning stick is held in one hand with pin 34 in hole 35 and this is used to offset the pull of string 28 when it is pulled to provide the spin. In this case the peg 27 is positioned in either cavity 3 or 10 of the spinning platforms or bases 5 or 22.

When the tops are first started they spin vertically with the tip 38 of the peg 27 hearing vertically on the surface of the spinning areas. Whenever the top tilts or moves from the center of any of the areas of the spinning platforms or the concave cavity surfaces, the sides 38 of the peg contact some portion of the surfaces of the spinning area.

This causes the peg and the top to move either around the outer area of the concave spinning surface or to jump clear of the surface. The extent of the movement depends upon the speed of the top and the area of the contact of the edge portions 38 of the peg with the platform surface.

When the top tilts, during spinning it may jump entirely clear of the spinning platform or a cavity or it may jump into the next lower spinning area or cavity. It may also jump into the next lower spinning area or cavity, such as 12, 14, 16 or 20 (Figure 10). A game may be played in which credits are given for a spin in which the top stays on the spinning base (such as 22) until it has descended from the first spinning area 10 to the lowermost spinning area 20. Suitable indicia may be placed on the spinning areas and scoring may be based on these indicia. If the top jumps clear of the spinning platform there is no score and a penalty may be agreed on.

In case the top is started in the spinning area 3 of the platform 4 (Figure 1) the top may climb out of the cavity 3 and spin for awhile on the fiat top area of block 2 and eventually may drop into the deeper cavities 6 of base 5. These are marked with indicia and rules may be agreed on as to scoring; also as to penalties for lack of scoring in case the top jumps or climbs entirely out of the cavity 6 and/ or falls entirely from the block 5.

The neck 40 at the top of each of the forms of tops has downwardly converging side surfaces so that the spinning string 28 wound upwardly on the side walls will have its greatest mechanical advantage when the pull is first started. The unwinding of the string for the spin starts at the larger upper end of the neck. As the spin pull continues the diameter of the neck lessens and, with the same speed of pull on the string, the speed of rotation imparted to the top tends to increase. This is similar to the spin imparted to tops previously used, when the string is wound on the lower surface of the top just above the peg. In the top here shown, however, the spinning string must be near the upper end of the top body and closely adjacent to the position-stick. Otherwise, the pull of the string for starting would displace the position of the top on the spinning surface. It would then be impossible to spin the top with the assurance that it would start the spin evenly and vertically at the place desired. Further, to attain the walking motion desired it is important that the peg 27 have a rounded and not a sharp point.

I claim:

1. A spinning toy consisting of a spinning platform having a series of adjacent spinning surfaces arranged at different levels each spinning surface having at least one shallow cavity adapted to detain a top spinning on said surface, and a top adapted to be started and spun on any one of said spinning surfaces, said top having a neck at its upper portion to receive the convolutions' of a spinning string, and axial means to journal a positioning stick to hold the top vertical and steady while the starting spring is pulled, and a peg at the bottom of the top having a rounded point to cause the top to walk on said spinning surfaces.

2. A spinning toy consisting of a series of adjoining spinning surfaces arranged at different levels of a descending order and having shallow cavities marked with game scoring indicia, and a top adapted to be started and spun on the uppermost surface of any one of said spinning surfaces, said top having a neck at its upper portion to receive the convolutions of a spinning string, and axial means to hold the top vertical and steady while the starting string is pulled, and a peg at the bottom of the top having a rounded point to cause the top to walk on said spinning surfaces.

3. A spinning game toy consisting of a base having a plurality of substantially horizontal spinning surfaces disposed at different descending levels, said surfaces being marked with indicia for game scoring, and having cavities to detain a top spinning with its bottom peg contacting the surface of the cavity, together with a top adapted to be started and spun on an upper spinning surface of said base, said top having a rounded body tapering at the bottom to a peg, and provided with a neck at the top having downwardly converging outer surface, adapted to receive the spiral wrapping of a starting and spinning string, and having an axial means on its top face for steadying the top when starting; said bottom peg having a rounded bottom point to cause said top to walk when its axis tilts from the vertical.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,099,615 Purse June 9, 1914 2,610,440 Manske et a1 Sept. 16, 1952 2,739,415 Robertson et al. Mar. 27, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 750,334 France Aug. 8, 1933 

